Clothes rinsing and drying apparatus



March 23, W3? A. c. sci-MEIJER CLOTHES RINSING AND DRYING APPARATUS Fled`June ll, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheetl l 'Pfam gmc/wm SJWNLJQQM +Mw, www

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CLOTHES RINSING AND DRYING APPARATUS Filed June 11, 1934 4 sheets-sheet 1 Patented Mar. 23, 1937 UNITED STATES rATENr CLOTHES RINSING AND DRYING APPA- RATUS 20 Claims.

This invention relates to clothes rinsing and drying apparatus and has for its general object to provide a comp-act, economically constructed and emcient machine for general domestic use, which preferably may be conveniently attached to and driven from the conventional wringer type of washing machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide simple and effective means for preventing water thrown from the clothes basket reaching the ball or roller `bearings for the basket drive shaft.

Another object o-f the invention is to provide means for preventing the water and soap suds thrown from the basket from contacting with the exterior of the basket thus reducing frictional losses to a minimum.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as the following specification is considered with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View through a clothes drier embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the structure shown in Figure l;

Figure 3 isa cross sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure l showing the arrangement of the drive mechanism for rotating the basket;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view through the variable speed drive housing and mechanism;

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional View on line 5-5 of Figure 2, disclosing the pump arrangements;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary transverse sectional View taken on the line 6 3 of Figure 3;

Figure 'l is a fragmentary section taken on the line l-l of Figure 3;

Figure 8 is a side elevation of Figure '7; and

Figure 9 is an enlarged detail view of the catch mechanism for holding the Variable speed drive mechanism in operative position.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I denotes a cylindrical tank mounted upon a preferably pressed sheet metal variable speed drive housing, comprising a base plate or member 2 a top member 3. The downturned peripheral wall 4 of the top member 3 receives and is bolted or riveted to the upturned flange 5 of base plate or member 2. Legs 3, preferably three in number adjustable as to height, are riveted or otherwise suitably secured to the peripheral wall 4 of the top member of the housing, as at l. Cross pieces or bars 3 serve to brace and prevent the legs 5 from spreading. The tank I rests upon the top 9 of the housing and is secured thereto in a manner hereinafter described. v

A double cone shaped clothes basket Ill, consisting of upper and lower portions Il and I2 respectively, formed with outwardly extending flanges I3 and I 4, secured together by rivets I5, is seated upon and coupled with the upper end of a basket drive shaft I5. The lower end of the shaft I6 projects through an opening in the base plate 2 of the variable speed drive housing, and is provided with a guard plate I'I, fixed thereto by a nut I8. The upper end of a tube I9 partially en` closing the shaft I6, projects through an opening in the top wall 9 of top member 3, of the housing and is secured to the housing by a hanged bracket 20, and the lower end of this tube projects through and is secured to base plate 2 by a bracket 2| and bolts 22. The shaft IB is journaled in upper and lower bearings 23 and 24 respectively, in turn supported at opposite ends of tube I9. Thus a cup 25 fixed on the outer end of tube I9 supports the outer fixed ring or race 26 of bearing 23 while the inner ring or race 21 is fixed to the inner wall 28 of a cone shaped male adapter 28, in turn fixed to the shaft I6. The adapter 28 and a cup 29 prevent the escape of grease from the upper bearing. The inner ring or race 3l) of lower ball bearing 24 is xed to the shaft IG, while the outer ring or race 3l has a close sliding fit with the inner face of the tube I9. It should be noted that the rollers 32 and 33 of the respective `bearings are oppositely beveled with respect to their outer races 2G and 3| respectively. When the parts of the upper bearing wear, shaft I6 and parts carried thereby will drop slightly under their own weight and at the same time a coil spring 34, bearing at opposite ends against the grease cup 29, and the outer race 3|, of the lower bearing 24, will force the race 3l downwardly a corresponding distance. This movement willautomatically compensate for any wear which may take place and thus render manual adjustment unnecessary. A cup 35 prevents the grease escaping from the lower bearing.

Secured to the lower half I2 of the clothes basket I0, by means of rivets 36, or other suitable fasteners, is a cone shaped female adapter 31, adapted to sleeve over and snugly receive the male adapter Xed to shaft l Ii. As the skirt portion 38 of the adapter 28 is outwardly flared or beveled similarly to the adapter 3l, a tight removable fit between the parts can be had by merely pressing the clothes basket and its adapter 31 down over the upper end of the shaft i6 and its adapter 28. The lower half I2 of the basket Cil I0 is enclosed within an inner tank or apron 39, which conforms to the configuration of and is spaced from the basket. This apron is secured at its lower end to the top of the housing 3 by means of a ring shaped bracket 46, which is sleeved upon bracket 20, bolts 4| being employed to secure the parts in place. The upper end of the apron 39 terminates within the downwardly curved flange I4 of the clothes basket, and the inner periphery of this flange is recessed to form arcuate slots or passages 42, between the flanges I3 and I4, through which water is thrown by centrifugal force when the basket is rotated with and by shaft I6. The extensive tapered bearing surfaces offered by the adapters afford a most secure support for the basket. The corners of the lower half I2 of the basket are bent or buckled inward- 1y to form a recess 80 covered by the adapter 31. If desirable this recess or pocket may be lled with lead or the-like to equalize the weight of the upper part of the basket, that is, to lower the center of gravity of the basket.

Rotation of the basket causes the water to ride up the outwardly flared sides of the lower half I2 of the basket and out through the passages or slots 42 and thence down over the lip or flange I4 into the tank I. The fiange I4 effectually prevents any water from entering the space 43 between the apron and the basket, and in consequence all danger of water reaching the bearings is eliminated. Furthermore the rotation of the basket is not retarded by contact with the water and suds extracted from the clothes. If desirable the apron 39 might be extended to the top of the basket, and the water discharged over the top edge of the basket, however the increase in power required to throw the water would be considerable. While the basket is preferably made in two pieces, as shown, it will be obvious that it could be made in one piece and the slots 42 formed intermediate its ends.

Water thrown from the basket passes through a screen 44, to and through a passage 45, into a conventional centrifugal pump 46 and thence to either the washing machine tub or the set tub, neither of which is shown. The screen 44 is enclosed within a tube 41, which is in turn secured at its lower end to the base plate 2, by means of a bracket 48, and a removable plug 49. The upper end of the tube 41 is buckled to provide a flange 56 which bears against the lower face of the housing top wall 9, and these two parts are clamped together by a nut 5I. A rod 52 extending between and connected at opposite ends to the screen or strainer 44 and the plug 49, provides a convenient means for removing the strainer.

The pump 46 consists of a two part casing 53 in which a shaft 54, carrying impeller blades is adapted to be rotated by means of a large gear 56. This gear 56, which is driven from a friction gear drive presently described, meshes with and drives a small gear 51 on the lower end of the pump shaft, and also meshes with and drives a small gear 58 on the lower end of the basket shaft I6. The large gear 56 is mounted for rotation upon a shaft 59 fixed at opposite ends between the upper and lower parts of the variable speed drive housing by a nut 60 and headed screw 6I. This shaft 59, and the strainer tube 41, serve to tie the housing parts together, and also to brace these parts. The basket shaft I6 and pump 46 are driven by a variable speed mechanism hereinafter described.

The clothes rinsing and drying apparatus of this invention is adapted to be connected to and driven from a conventional wringer type of washing machine, not shown herein, but clearly illustrated and described in my co-pending application Serial No. 688,513, filed September 7, 1933. Therefore but brief reference to the washing machine and its wringer drive is deemed necessary. A drive shaft 62 extends through and is rotatably supported in a tubing 63, which is in turn supported at its opposite ends adjacent one side of the tank I, in a bracket 64 and the top of the variable speed drive housing. The upper end of this shaft is connected with and driven through a speed increasing gearing 65 housed within a gear box 69 swiveled upon the upper end of the tubing 63. This gearing is in turn detachably connected to and driven from the washing machine Vby means of a coupling shaft 61, as disclosed in my co-pending application previously referred to.

Slidably mounted upon the lower end of the vertical shaft 62 is a driving disk 68. Thus the shaft 62 is formed with splines 69 received within corresponding longitudinally extending grooves f6 formed in the bore of a bushing 1i. This bushing is fixed at its lower end to the driving disk 68 and consequently these two members have simultaneous sliding movement with respect to the shaft. A coil spring 12, which bears at its upper end against a collar 13, xed to the shaft by a pin 14, engages the driving disk 68 with its lower end and resiliently forces the disk downwardly against a friction wheel 6I.

A horizontally disposed square tubing 15 or shaft fixedly connected at opposite ends to collars 16 and 11, mounted on the fixed shaft 59, previously described, and on a post 18 respectively, slidably supports a bushing 19 on which the friction wheel 8| is rotatably confined or mounted. The intermediate wheel 8| also frictionally engages an idler disk 82, mounted upon a stub shaft 83, when the parts are in idle or Figure 2 position. A block 84 pivotally secured at 85 to an arm 86, fixed to a manually operable shaft 81, engages with and always lies in the path of movement of the angularly bent bifurcated outer end 88, of a U-shaped extension 89 fixed to the bushing 19. This bifurcated end portion snugly engages the square tubing' 15 and is guided thereon during the simultaneous pivotal movement of the arm B6, and the sliding movements of the bushing 19. The manually operable shaft 81 is journaled in bearings 9| and SI respectively, carried by a pair of similarly constructed spaced brackets 89. and 89', riveted or otherwise suitably secured to the base plate 2 of the housing.

In order to rotate the basket drive shaft I6, it is necessary to slide the bushing 19 and the friction wheel 8i, to the left from its Figure 2 or idle position, until the wheel rides upon the fiat upper face of gear 56. This is accomplished by manually swinging the weighted lever arm 96 in an anti-clockwise direction from the full line position illustrated in Figure 7. It should here be noted that means is provided for locking the operating shaft 81 in its several adjusted positions, namely idling, slow and full speed positions. 'Ihus an arm 93, which is fixed to the shaft S1 and rides over the bracket 89' carries a spring pressed locking ball 94 housed within a hollow member 95, attached to the said arm. This ball is adapted to be automatically seated in any one of three recesses or depressions 96, 96 and 95 representing the idling, slow speed and full speed positions respectivelyl of the! friction whee1'8|1,.bya coil spring 9.1.

The operation is as follows; Assuming that the operator desires for any reason to runV the drier at slow speed, for instance where the drier is being used for dry cleaning purposes, andz until: its is necessary to extract gasoline from the clothes, the Weighted lever will` be moved. from idling position sufciently far to disengage the ball 94 fro-m the' idling recess 86 and force thev same into the hollow member 95. Justas soon as the manual movement of the shaft 8T has dis-- engaged the locking balli from the idling recess 9&5, the spring 91 will be free to-pull the bushing 'ill and the friction wheel 8i` mounted thereon toward and into Contact with the top peripheral face of the combined gear and friction disk 56T, thus driving the clothes basket at slow speed. At the same time the spring 91V will continue the rotation of the shaft 87|, due to thel contact of the bent end 88" with the block 8'4, pivoted' to the arm B5. As the arm 93=, ofcourse moves with the shaft 8.6, the ball 94'- will dropr in the recess 96 when the arm has been moved that far under the pull of spring 91, and the friction drive. will now be locked in slow speed position. It willi also be noted that the movement ofthe'friction4 wheel is beyond the control of the operator, to the extent that the mere manual actuation of the lever itil does not transmit sliding movement to the bushing 19. Consequently, no` matter how fast or far the shaftV 8T is manually actuated, the movement of the sliding bushing, and the friction Wheel 8|, by the spring 91, Will begradual. Further manual movement of the shaft 81, releases the locking ball 94 from the slow speed recess 96 thus permitting the spring 91 to move the bushing and its friction drivel wheel 8| to full speed position, whereupon the ball 94 will" drop into recess S6". The pull of spring 91' is not suiiicient to force the ball 9'4 out of theV locking recesses, or to permit the ball to pass over one of these recesses without dropping into locking position. Except where the drier is being used for dry cleaning purposes, the clothes basket will of course preferably be driven at full speed. In order to returnfthe intermediate drive. whe-el 82 to slow or idling position it is merely necessary to swing the lever 90 in a clockwise direction.

Removably mounted' upon the top of the` tank t is a ring like member I04, formed with a de.- pending circular ange 98', surrounding the. opening 99 therethrough., This ange extends slightly into the open top of the clothes basket. A pair of substantially semi-circular lid or cover members H30 and lill are connected to the member Mld, by hinges IDZ and` |03.. These-cover members, when opened serve as drain boards for re.- spectively draining water which drops from` the clothes placed thereon, into the washing machine and into the set tubs, not shown.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a centrifugal dryer a support, a tank mounted on said support having an apertured bottom, a driven shaft extended through said apertured bottom into said tank, a tubular member circumferentially enclosing the extended end. of said shaft, a. bearing for the end of said shaft supported by said tubing, means on said tubing for connecting same to said support, skirting means encircling said tubing and shaft seated upon the bottom of said tank around the aperture thereof, andmeans for jointly clamping and sealing said supporting means and skirting means to the bottom of saidtank..

2. In a centrifugal` dryer a support, a tank mountedV on said support having an apertured bottom, a driven. shaft extended through said apertured bottom into said tank, a tubular member circumferentially enclosing the extended end of said shaft, a roller bearing for the extended end' of said shaft supported by 'said 'tubirrg, anged skirting. means encircling `said tubular member andi shaft seated. upon the bottom of said tank:v around the aperture thereof, a flanged ring shapedy bracket secured to the peripheral wall of said; tubing having its circumferential flange seated: uporr the flange of said skirting means, and means for jointly clamping and sealing said tank, said skirting means and said ring shaped bracket to said support.

3. In a centrifugal dryer as described in claim 2,V a. secondubearing supported by said tubular member at its lower end` for guiding the opposed ends of said driven shaft.

4. In a centrifugal dryer a support, a. tank mounted on said support having an apertured bottom, a driven shaft extended through said apertured bottom into said tank, a tubing substantially enclosing said shaft, two bearing members supported by said tubing in spaced rela tionr to guide the end portions of said shaft, a bracket member fixed to said support and said tubing for supporting the lower end of said tubing, a second bracket member secured to said tubing in approximately theplane of the bottom of said: tank, to permit support of said tubing upon the bottom of said tank, and means for jointly clamping and sealing said tank and secondl bracket member to said support.

5. In af centrifugal dryer a housing having top` and bottom portions, drive mechanism in said housing, a tank mounted upon said housing having an apertured: bottom, a vertical shaft coupled with said drive mechanism and extended through the top of: said housing into said tank through theI apertured bottom thereof, supporting means for said shaft secured to the top and bottom portions ot said housing and extended into said.

tank, bearing membersfor` said shaft carried by the opposite ends of said supporting means, and a basket supported above and coupled with the upper end` of said shaft.

6-.. In a. centrifugal dryer a housing having top and bottom members, drive mechanism arranged within saidy housing, a. tank mounted upon the top member of said. housing having an apertured bottom,` a vertical shaft coupled with said drive mechanism and extended through the top member' into` said, tank through the apertured bottom. thereof.. supporting means for said shaft coupled with said housing and extended into said tank, means for connecting said supporting means with said top and bottom. members of said housing, bearing members for said shaft mounted on said supporting means in said housing and said tank, and a basket supported upon and coupled with the upper end ofsaid shaft.

7. A centrifugal dryer as described in claim G, wherein said supporting means consists of a tubular member and wherein said means connecting said supporting means to the top and bottom members of the housing consists of flanged brackets circumferentially secured to said tubular member and to the top and bottom members of said housing.

8. In a centrifugal dryer a housing having top and. bottom portions, drive mechanism in said housing, a tank mounted on the top portion of said housing having an apertured bottom, a basket rotatably mounted in said tank, a shaft arranged below said basket and coupled therewith, said shaft being coupled with said drive mechanism, and being extended through the top portion of said housing into said tank through the apertured bottom thereof, supporting means for said shaft secured to the top and bottom portions of said housing and extended into said tank, superposed roller bearing members for said shaft mounted on said supporting means in spaced relation, said members having their inner races pressed upon said vertical shaft, the upper one of said bearings having its outer race rigidly secured to said supporting means and the lower one of said bearings having its outer race slidably mounted upon said supporting means, and means for automatically shifting the outer race of said lower bearing away from the outer race of said upper bearing to automatically take up wear on said bearings.

9. A centrifugal dryer as described in claim 8, wherein said supporting means consists of a tubular member having said roller bearings seated therein close to its opposite ends, and wherein said automatic take up means consists of a compression spring resting upon the outer race of said lower bearing for yieldingly forcing same downwardly.

l0. In a centrifugal dryer a housing, drive mechanism in said housing, a tank mounted upon said housing having an apertured bottom, a basket rotatably mounted in said tank, a vertical shaft mounting said basket and coupled with said drive mechanism extended through the wall of said housing into said tank through the aperf tured bottom thereof, tubular supporting means for said shaft coupled with said housing and extended a substantial distance into said tank, bearing members for said shaft mounted in spaced relation in said tubular supporting member, a cone-shaped skirting and coupling member secured to the upper end of said shaft, and depending around the tubular supporting member, and a female coupling member fitting and engaged with said first coupling member.

1l. In a centrifugal dryer a housing having upper and lower portions, drive mechanism in said housing, a tank mounted upon the upper portion of said housing having an apertured bottom, a vertical shaft coupled with said drive mechanism and extended through the wall of said housing into said tank through the apertured bottom thereof, supporting and bearing means for said shaft coupled with the top and bottom portions of said housing and extended into said tank, a circumferential skirting means in said tank spaced from the side wall and sealed to the bottom wall thereof around its aperture and encircling said shaft and said supporting means, said skirting means extending a substantial distance above the upper edge of said shaft and supporting means, and a basket arranged above said shaft and said supporting means and supported by and coupled with the upper end of said shaft, said basket being partly encircled by said skirting means and having its wall closely adjacent to the inner wall of said skirting means.

12. A centrifugal dryer as described in claim 11, wherein said tank is cylindrical and wherein said skirting means is inverted cone-shaped to provide a ring-shaped open chamber of substantial volume between the inner wall of said tank and the outer wall of said skirting means.

13. In a centrifugal dryer a housing having upper and lower portions, drive mechanism in said housing, a tank mounted upon the upper portion of said housing having an apertured bottom, a circumferential outwardly inclined wall spaced from the side wall of said tank and sealed to said tank around its apertured bottom forming an inverted cone-shaped chamber axially in said tank, a vertical shaft extending from said housing a substantial distance into said inverted cone-shaped chamber, means connected to the upper and lower portions of said housing for rotatably supporting the upper and lower ends of said shaft, and a basket partly extended into said chamber and frictionally coupled with and removably seated upon the upper end of said shaft, the wall of the basket within said chamber being substantially parallel to and slightly spaced from the wall of said skirting means to effect a decrease of atmospheric pressure upon said wall during centrifugal drying operations for automatically increasing the grip of the frictional coupling between the basket and said shaft, when the basket is rotated.

14. In a centrifugal dryer as described in claim 5, an outwardly inclined circumferential skirting wall within said tank for encircling said shaft, said supporting means and a portion of said basket, said wall having at its lower end an inwardly extending flange connected and sealed to the bottom of said tank around its aperture.

l5. In a centrifugal dryer a support having top and bottom portions, a tank mounted on said support having an apertured bottom, a driven shaft extended through said apertured bottom into said tank, a tubular member secured to the top and bottom portions of said support circumferentially enclosing the extended end of said shaft, a bearing for each end of said shaft supported by said tubing, spaced means on said tubing for connecting same to the upper and lower portions of said support, skirting means encircling said tubing and shaft said skirting means being spaced from the side wall of said tank and seated upon the bottom thereof around its aperture, and means for clamping and sealing said supporting means and said skirting means to the bottom of said tank.

16. In a centrifugal dryer a support having top and bottom portions, a tank mounted on said support having an apertured bottom, a driven shaft extended through said apertured bottom into said tank, a tubular member circumferentially enclosing the extended end of said shaft and secured to the top and bottom portions of said support, a roller bearing for the extended end of said shaft supported in the upper end of said tubing, flanged skirting means encircling said tubular member and shaft spaced from the side wall of said tank and seated upon the bottom thereof around its aperture spaced flanged ring-shaped brackets secured to the peripheral wall of said tubing, and means for clamping and sealing said tank, said skirting means and the ange of the upper of said ring-shaped brackets to the top portion of said support.

17. In a centrifugal dryer a support having top and bottom portions, a tank mounted upon said support having an apertured bottom, a driven shaft extended through said apertured bottom into said tank, a tubing substantially enclosing said shaft and secured to the top and bottom portions of said support, two bearing members supported in said tubing in spaced relation to guide the end portions of said shaft, a bracket member fixed to the bottom portion of said support and said tubing for supporting the lower end of said tubing, a second bracket member secured to said tubing in approximately the plane of the top porltion of said support and of the bottom of said tank to permit support of said tubing close to the bottom of said tank upon said top portion of said support, and means for clamping and sealing the second bracket member to the top portion of said support.

18. In a centrifugal dryer a housing having top and bottom walls, a tank having an apertured bottom supported upon the top Wall of said housing, a short, driven shaft extending through `said housing and said apertured bottom into said tank, means secured to the top and bottom Wall of said housing for rotatably supporting the opposite ends of said shaft, inverted cone-shaped skirting means within said tank arranged in spaced relation with respect to the side Wall thereof and extending a substantial distance above said supporting means and said shaft for encircling said shaft Within said tank, said skirting means being sealed to the bottom ofy said tank circumferentially around the aperture in said bottom, a perforated, inverted cone-shaped basket extended into said skirting means in slightly spaced relation with respect to the Wall thereof,

said basket being arranged above the upper end of said shaft and coupled with said shaft for rotation therewith, and flanged means on said basket below and above the perforations thereof,

laterally extending beyond the upper edge of said skirting means for guiding liquid discharged from said tank into the space between said tank and said skirting means.

19. In a centrifugal dryer a housing embodying a top and a bottom portion, a tank mounted on the top portion of said housing having an apertured bottom, a short, driven shaft extended through the top and bottom Wall of said housing and through the apertured bottom into the tank, means extended through said housing into said tank for encircling said shaft and its extended end, means on said encircling means for securing same to the top and bottom portions of said housing, means Within said encircling means at opposite ends thereof for rotatably supporting the opposite ends of said shaft, and abasket arranged above the upper end of said shaft and supported by and coupled with sai-d shaft for rotation there- With.

20. In a centrifugal dryer a housing, drive mechanism in said housing, a tank mounted upon said housing having an apertured bottom, a vertical shaft coupled With said drive mechanism and extended through the Wall of said housing and through the apertured bottom of said tank, supporting means for said shaft coupled with said housing and extended into said tank, a coneshaped male coupling member secured to the upper end of said shaft, a basket, and a female coupling member secured to and extending downwardly from said basket and cooperating with said male coupling member in supporting said basket above said shaft, said female coupling member contacting with the side Wall of said basket and being circumferentially secured thereto.

ANTON C. SCI-IMELZER. 

